Signal box



Sept. 16 1924. 7 1,508,743 RT W. CARNAHAN SIGNAL Box Filed April 1! 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 0/0 Z 9g 9'3? 20 e2 Rajah him/"22m HIM/V56 Sept. 16. 1924. 1,508,743

R. W. CARNAHAN S IGNAL BOX Filed April 15 1919' 3 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH W. CARNAHAN, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR F ONE-FOURTH TO ORPHA G.

' SIGLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SIGNAL BOX.

Application filed April 15, 1919. Serial No. 290,175.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH W. GARNAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Signal Box, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to signal boxes, such as are used for fire alarms or the like for transmitting electric signals.

The object of the invention is to provide a signal box provided with automatic signal transmitting mechanism which does not depend upon a main spring for its operation.

A further object is the provision of a devic of this character in which the motive power is supplied to the main drive gear by means of a sliding rack operated by means of a weight.

A further object is the provision of a make and break device, operated by the signal wheel, in which'the contacts operate to make and break the circuit within mercury cups, the contact point-s being immersed in the mercury when the circuit is closed, preventing corrosion of said contact points.

A further object is the provision of the gearing in combination with the weighted rack so arranged that four complete transs missions of the signal or box number are given with one complete operation of the mechanism.

A still further object is to permit of sig nal boxes of the character mentioned in which complicated adjustments are eliminated, thus eliminating causes for failure to operate and to register accurately and to allow of their being manufactured economically and to be efiicient and durable in operation and construction.

Withthese objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of construction may be made within th scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The invention thus set forth in general terms is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which F igure 1 is a front view of the signal transmitting mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a. view similar to Fig. 1, showmg the make and break device in section.

F 1g. 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism.

Fig. 41 is a side elevation with parts broken away for the purpose of illustration.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55, Fig. 4, the operating lever being removed.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the back plate of the signal transmit-ting mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the sliding rack.

Fig. 8 1s a transverse section through the same.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the weight.

10 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the operating lever.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line 18-13, Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the cam and gear which is connected thereto.

Fig. 15 is a section on the line 15--15, Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is an elevation of the bushing upon which the cam and gear illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15 are mounted.

Fig. 1'7, an end view of the same.

F ig. 18 is an elevation of the yoke which carries the movable contacts in the make and break mechanism.

Fig. 19 is an elevation of one of the mercury cups.

. Fig. 20 is a plan view of the same.

A practical embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The front and rear plates 1 and 2 are connected together, preferably at their corners by means of the posts 3 and comprise the frame work within which the signal transmitting mechanism is suspended, the rear plate being connected to a suitable support 4 by means of brackets 5.

The operating lever 6 is pivoted to a pair of brackets 7 connected to the front plate 1 and extends through suitable slots 8 and 9 in the front and back plates respectively, a handle 10 being provided upon the forward upon said shaft.

extremity of said lever which extends some considerable distance beyond the front plate 1. This lever is provided upon its inner extremity, which extends through the slot in the plate 2, with an angular portion 11 having a downwardly depending finger 12,

which engages the notch 13 in the notched disk 14. This lever is balanced so that it will'normally lie in position to have the finger 12' engage the notch in the notched disk, but as a further precaution a coil spring 15 is'attached to. the inner end of the lever and to the rear plate 2. The notched disk 14 is connected to the gear 16 by means of a hub or bushing 17 which is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 18, thenotched disk 14 and gear 16 being thus arranged'toro tate as one integralpart upon the shaft 18. The gear 16, meshes with the rack bar 19., said rackbarbeing connected as by'the screws 20 to the plate 21, which is mounted for verticalreciprocation within the guides 22. For the purpose of allowing theplate 21 to slide readily within the guides 22,

: rollers 23 are located at intervals in said guides and arranged to contact with the edges of the plate. A weight 24 preferably of the form shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is connectedto the rear face of the plate21 and is the motive power which sets the mechanism into operation when the operating lever is rocked torelease the finger 12 from the notch in the notcheddisk. V I A pawl 25 is pivoted upon the rear face of the gear 16 and by means of a spring 26 is normally held in engagement with the ratchet 27, which is fixedly mounted upon the shaft 18. A gear 28 is mounted upon the shaft 18 between the forward and rear plates and engages a pinion 29 mounted upon the signal wheel shaft 30. A gear 31 is fixedly mounted upon the shaft and meshes with a pinion 32 mounted upon the escapement shaft 33, said shaft carrying the escapement wheel 34 whose teeth cooperate with a suitable anchor 35 mounted upon the balance shaft 36, a pallet 37 being mounted The shaft 30 extends through-the front plate and has mounted thereon the signal wheel 38 on the circumferential surface of-which are groups of pro jecting teeth 39 arranged in any desired combination tocontrol theiformat-ion' of the 'sig- 'nal impulses. 55

The lever 40 is pivoted upon the front-plate and normally rests upon the stop pin, 42, the downwardly depending tooth offsaid lever being arranged to be engaged by the groups of teeth upon the signal wheel to raise and lower the lever as will be later described; Forthe purpose ofinsulating the mechanism from the make and break device which is operated through the lever 40, astrip of hard rubber or other suitable'insulating material 44 attached to the V in this circuit.

the time the slidi ng reaclie .eratlng lever, stopping theme I sho ld be a tetl that s t e tile li flevaadl th t sk; v1. .1. @135 upper surfaceof said lever near. its free'end which contacts wi th the vertical rod 45 of the yoke 46, which carries the movable contacts 47 of the make and breakdevice. The rod 45 is slidably mounted through a suitable vertical aperture in the insulated housing 48 within which the make and break device is contained and the arms of the yoke 46 slide within s uita blevertical passages in said housing, the inovable contacts 47 upon said s being oca d n r th hamb rs 49;

forme n a d. ousi g; 1931 9 "be ng th aded n oth l wer en s s i i n here and provided with the fixed points 5.1 to whichthe wires 52 re C ntact posts 53 to which the wires 54 are atta (1, sai as named W re lead when s itier! qr th I bi t v e e igfial we given, itb eingo'f course understood theta so] ejd, said wires leading to suitable binding N suitable source of electrical: j

metering cups 5Q contains mercury and the m abl 158 iim ie l ii iprovided ii i th ithe tips' 55 'forhaed'of thin stripsfof suitable conducting material bent into' the, roadsh w" 115' they drawings "and connected J at their extremities to the "cylin; dric al po rtions 47 of the contact iiienibers, thus leaving the central openings 56 through t e 'tir 't eflel w ic h mean ii y flow when 'the" movable 'chntact *xhembers a e. he mama easemais a a Eis- Operating fl he anis ith handle '10 of the lever 76 is lowered, raisiiig h sage 12 a of the n chi ate disk '14. Immediately the weight attjhed o t slid ng raek' w l caus the w r slidej dow wardly in it .Shaft 18. through the "ge 1'6 and is 1.1 seal. W eel 313 th i re fiefi thereon engaging the tooth 43f upon; the

lev reiql rai ns nd owering d v that in nan r ises and layers. are "yoke e ase he mevbl f ataet" s me thi making and breaking the circuitat predetermined inter-vale producing the ra e. ei h fifi 35s train of gears are so prop ortioned 'tha t sition shown in d otted a thma and-"2, which 'tiinei tlie hatched"disk 14 will have made one completereifolutioln Q hamsfi i th and again: reached the fingeri12 signal wheel- 38 will have madef fduri edit plete revolutions, ringing the ii -umberfoflthe IQ i i h a i was; osa aea revolution. In" order to resetthe mechanism the insulated handle 57 upon the slidn plat l ill'b'gm m the Plate is slid upwardly to the startii g position 213s e pothe gear 16 to rotate in a reverse direction, and as said gear is loosely mounted upon its shaft the pawl thereon will ride over the ratchet 27. As the plate 21 is moved into the raised or initial position the lever 10 must be raised sufiiciently to remove the finger 12 in the notch of the notched disk 14 and as the plate 21 reaches its upward position the disk will have made one complete revolution and the finger 12 will again be seated in the notch therein.

I claim:

1. In a signal transmitter, a make and break device comprising a pair of mercury cups, fixed contact points within said cups, a vertically, slida-blei yoke extending into said cups, a contact upon each end of said yoke, an open tip upon each of said lastnamed contacts arranged to engage the fixed contacts and to allow the mercury in the cups to flow through said tips, and means for vertically movmg said yoke to move said tips into circuit make and break po sitions.

2. In a signal transmitter, a make and break device comprising a mercury cup, a fixed contact point within said cup, a movable contact point within said cup, an open tip upon said movable contact arranged to engage the fixed contact and to allow the mercury in the cup to flow through said open tip.

3. A signal transmitter comprising a pair of spaced plates, a make and break device upon the forward face of the front plate, a toothed signal wheel journaled in front of the front plate, a lever pivoted upon the front plate and having a tooth engaging the si a1 Wheel, a vertically slidable rod engaglng the lever and operatively connected to the make and break device, a chain of gears between the plates operatively connected to the signal wheel, a notched disk mounted upon the rear face of the rear plate, an operating lever pivoted intermediate the plates and having a tooth engaging the notched disk and a handle extending through a slot in the front plate, a gear wheel fixed to the notched disk and a weighted rack bar engaging said gear wheel.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed 111 name.

RALPH W. CARNAHAN. 

